Automatic switch.



J. L. MCQUARHIE.

AUTOMATIC SWETCH.

APPLICATION HLED Amaze. was.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918..

ln van for: James L ME Quark/e.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JAMES L. MoQUABBIE, OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WIBSIERN ELEC-TRIO COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK; N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

Indication of Letters Ifatcnt.

Application filed Auzult as; me. Serial No. 117,429.

- the multiple brush type.

In switches of this type it is customary to first render operative oneof a certain set of brushes, after which such selected brush is moved ingroup etc s over the section served by it. At the com etion of the groupsteps, short steps are talien to select a particular terminal set in theselected group. i

It is the object of this invention to provide a switch of these generalcharacteristics in which simplicity of structure and operation isattained.

'A feature of the resent invention is the utilization of a sing emag'netduring brush selection and units selection, a second magnetbeing. used for group selection.

The general structure of the contact bank, brush sets and tri pingmechanism may be similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 1 123,696issued Januar 5, 1915 to E. B. draft and J. N. Reynol s.

In the drawing, the; structure of the switch embodied in the presentinvention 13 diagrammatically shown, as well as a circuit arrangementsuitable for operating the same.

The structure of a preferred form of the brush sets are normallyinoperative, but may be made operativef .the action of a trip rod 5carrying tripping fingprs 6, and operated by a trip magnet 7. he triprod 5 and magnet 7 are common to all the rushes of the switch, the brushset to be tripped being determined by the primary motion of shaft 1, asdescribed in the above mentioned patent.

A lever 14 pivoted at 15 carries at one end a allet 10, this palletcotiperating with a pa let 9 to form an escapement under the control ofmagnet 8, and cotiperatin with pallet 13 to form an escapement un er thecontrol of magnet 18. When magnet 8 attracts its armature, pallet 9 isdrawn to the left and pallet 10 is forced out of engagement with thefirst of a series of ratchet teeth 19 by the action of a spacing-block12. The shaft is drawn upward under the tension of spring 2 until thepallet 9 engages the next ratchet tooth 19. Upon the deenergization ofmagnet 8 pallet 9 is withdrawn, and pallet 10 is forced into engagementwith the tooth previously held by pallet 9 by'the tension of spiralspring 11. The shaft 1 is moved upward the desired number of etc s, atwhich time trip rod 5- is rotated to re ease and render operative a setof brushes serving the desired section, it being understood that thetripping fingers 6 are spaced at successively increasing distances fromthe normal positions of brush sets 3 as described in the previouslymentloned patent.

The next series of impulses is directed to magnet 18. When magnet 18first attracts its armature, allet 13 is drawn to the right, causing arm14 to be moved. 'to the right by the action of spacing block 21. Thismovement of arm 14'causes pallet 10 to be withdrawn from the tooth withwhich it is in engagement, and the shaft 1 is moved upward a distancesuch that the tripped brush set 3 is now in engagement with the bottomterminal of the section served by it, -the shaft being arrested in thisposition by the engagement of pallet 13 with thefirst of a series ofratchet teeth 17. When magnet 18 is de'einergized, pallet 13 moves tothe left,

fcarrying arm 14 with it under the tension Patented Nov. 12, 1918 teeth20 in the space e ual to the distance between successive ratc et teeth17. The brush set therefore moves over a group of ten terminals uponeach step made by the switch under the control of magnet 18.

At the conclusion of this series of impulses the magnet 8 again becomesoperative, either in response to a series of impulses, if the switch isto act as a connector,

or in response to circuit conditions such as will cause the switch tohunt for an idle trunk in the group selected, if the switch is to act asa selector. At this time the pallets 9 and 10 cotiperate with ratchetteeth 20 in the manner described for brush selection, under the controlof magnet 8.

The switch is restored by the action of a magnet 22 which attracts itsarmature to force a driving ribbon 23 into engagement with a constantlyrotating roller 24 to draw the switch downwardand rewind spring 2. Theswitch is held in its normal position by the engagement of pallet 10with the first of the ratchet teeth 19.

Th operation of the circuit arrangement ,'.shown in the drawing is asfollows, assuming that the switch is to operate as a selector switch.When the trunk 25, 26 is seized by a preceding switch, line relay 27 isenergized over a path from grounded battery, left-hand winding of relay27, side-switch wiper 28 and its first contact, conductor 26,

through the brushes and contacts of preceding switches and thesubscribers circuit,

' relay 30, armature and back cdtitactofrelay' ,tact, to ground.

conductor 25, side-switch wiper 29 and its rst contact, right-handwinding of relay 27 to ground. Relay 27 attracts its armature andcompletes a circuit for slow-release relay 30 from grounded battery,winding of relay 30, to ground at the armature and front contact ofrelay 27. A series of impulses is nowsent to select a brush. Upon thefirst interruption of the line circuit, relay 27 is denergized and acircuit for slow-release relav 31 is completed from grounded battery,winding of relay 31, armatui'e and front contact of relay 30, to groundat the armature and back contact of relay 27. A circuit is now completedfor escape magnet 32 from grounded battery, winding of escape magnet 32,armature and front contact of re: lay 31, side-switch wiper 33 and itsfirst con- Escape magnet2 is eu'er-' gizcd but does not release theside'snritch. --At the same time a circuit is completedfor steppingmagnet 8 from grounded batterygwind mg of magnet 8, side-switch wiper 34and its first contact, armature and front contact of 27, to ground. Theshaft makes desired number ofstepa in resppnseto the it'n} pulses sent,,under' the control bf magnet 8 and its escapement, consisting of palets 9 and 10. At the conclusion of ,this series of impulses, re1ay;27 rminhenergized for a.

relatively long period, whereupon relay 31 releases and opens thecircuit of escape magnet 32, which deiinergizes and. releases the sideswitch into its second position.

In the second position of the side switch, a circuit is completed fortrip magnet 7 from grounded battery, trip magnet 7, sideswitch wiper 35and its second contact, to ground. The trip rod 5 is operated to releasethe set of brushes serving the desired section, such brush set havingassumed a position to be tripped by the tripping finger 6 on suchmovement of the rod 5.

The second set of impulses is now sent, the circuit to linerelay 27being completed over the side-switch wipers 28 and 29 in their secondposition. The operation of relays 27, 30 and 31 and escape magnet 32being exactly similar to that previously described. However, theimpulses are now sent to stepping magnet 18 instead of magnet 8 overside-switch wiper 34 and its second contact,

this circuit being controlled at the armature and back contact of linerelay 27, as before. The shaft is now allowed to advance in long steps,the brush set 3 passing over a group of ten terminal sets upon each actuation of magnet 18. At the conclusion of this series of impulses, magnet31 is (leiinergiZed as before and allows theescape magnet 32 tdeenergize and release the side switch into its third position.

In the third. position of the sideswitch, magnet 8 interrupts its owncircuit at its armature and back contact, this circuit being fromgrounded battery, winding of magnet 8, armature and back contact ofmagnet .8, side-switch wiper 33 and its third contact, to ground.Assuming that an idle condition of trunks is represented by the presenceof ground on their test terminals, and a busy condition by the absenceof such ground escape magnet 82 will not be energized until an idletrunk is found, the side switch being so constructed that the magnet 32will release it from its third to its fourth position 'upon theenergization of the escape magnet.

the fourth position of the side the operating circl' it for stepping 25rgagne 8 is opened and conductors 25 and 26;are extended to a drsire'dtrunk over which further connection may be established.

At thgt gjconclusion of conversation, ground will be reapplied to thetest terminal of In! the selected trunk by the release of the succeedingswitch, at which time a circuit will be completed for downdrive powermagnet 22 from unded battery, winding of magnet 22, 0 -normal contact37, conductor 38, side-switch viilper 36 in its fourth position, toground. agnet 22 in energizin completes a locking circuit for itself trough contact springs 39, controlled by its armature 40, and at the sametime forces a driving ribbon 23 into engagement with constantly rotatingroller 24 to cause the restoration of the switch. when the switcharrives in its normal position, contact 37 will be opened to break thelocking circuit of magnet 22. s

The side switch is restored in the usual manner by the return of thebrush set, and on leaving position 4- supplies ground for the release ofthe preceding switch over a circuit from ground, armature and backcontact of relay 30, side-switch wiper 40 in either first, second orthird positions, and conductor 41, to the test conductor of suchpreceding switch.

What is claimed is:

1. In an automatic switch, a movable shaft, movable contacts carriedthereby, a pluralit of stationary terminal sets arranged or engagementby said movable contacts, means for causing a primary selective movementof said shaft, means for causing a secondary selective movement of saidshaft, means for causing a tertiary selective movement of said shaft,and a single operating magnet to mechanically control said primary andtertiary movements.

2. In an automatic switch, a movable shaft, movable contacts carriedthereby, a plurality of stationary terminal sets, a contact bankcontaining said terminal sets and arranged to be served by said movablecontacts, said terminal sets bein arranged in sections and groups, meansor selecting a desired section, means for selecting a desired group,means for selecting a desired terminal set in said selected group, and asin lo operating magnet to directly mechanically control said first andthird selecting means.

3. In an automatic switch, a movable shaft, a plurality ofmultiply-connected brush sets carried thereby, a contact bank dividedinto sections and groups, there being one of said brush sets er section,said brush sets being normally inoperative with respect to the section"served by them, means for render-in a desired brush set operative,means for a vancing said operative brush set in long steps, means foradvancing said operative brush set in short steps, and a single ma et tocontrol the means for renderl'nga esired brush set operative andadvancing said shaft in short steps.

4. In an automatic switch, a movable shaft, movable contacts carriedthereby, a plurality of stationary terminal sets arranged for engagemcnt'by said movable contacts, three series of ratchet teeth mountedon said shaft, the ratchet teeth in the respective series beingvariously spaced, a magnet and escapement to control movement of saidshaft in conjunction with two of said series of ratchet teeth, and asecond magnet and escapement to control motion of said shaft inconjunction with the third of said series of ratchet teeth. I

5. In an automatic switch, a movable shaft, a plurality ofmultiply-connected brush sets carried thereby, a plurality of terminalsets, a panel contact bank containing said terminal sets, said bank beindivided into a'plurality of sections, there ein one of said brush setsper section, said brus sets being normally inoperative with respect tothe section served by them, means for ad vancing said movable shaft intoa position where a desired one of said brush sets may be made active,means for renderin active said positioned brush set, means %or advancingsaid active brush set in long steps, means for advancing said activebrush set in short steps, and a single magnet to control the movement ofthe shaft during, positioning for brush selection and during said shortsteps.

6. In an electric switch, a plurality of contact banks, contact meansindividual to said banks to engage contacts of their respectivebanks,means to select any desired contact means, a spring to move said contactmeans, means for controlling the movement of the selected contact meansto enge any desired contact in its respective ank, and a single meansfor restoring said contact means and sprin to normal.

In witness whereof, I ercunto subscribe my name this 26th day of AugustA. 1)., 1916.

JAMES L. MCQUARRIE.

